Wire tensioning device



Dec. 27, 1960 F. H. wLLTs 2,965,940

WIRE TENsIoNING oEvIc:

Filed Oct. 3, 1957 INVENTOR.

FRED w rs BMM ATTORNEY United States Patent O 2,965,940 WIRE TENSIONING DEVICE Fred H. Willits, R.D. 2, E. Middle Road, North East, Pa. Filed Oct. 3, 1957, Ser. No. 687,934 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-132) This invention relates to clamping devices and, more particularly, to devices for clamping wires in grape arbors and the like.

Up to the present time, grape vines in vneyards have been Supported on spaced wires which have been extended between braced end posts with spaced posts therebetween. Each season, the grape vines resting on the wires have caused them to sag so that at the beginning of each season, it is necessary for the keeper of the vineyard to restretch the wires. This necessitates loosening the wires at the ends and restretching them. This usually involves untwisting the wire from around one of the end posts, restretching the wire, and retwisting it around the post or otherwise anchoring it in place.

`It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to overcome the difficulties and time consuming procedure involved in the ordinary stretching and restretchng of wires in a vineyard and, more particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a means for tightening the wires in a vineyard which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and eficient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved wire clamping device.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a wire clamping device according to the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the wire clamping device shown in Fig. 1.

Now with more specific reference to the drawing, wires 11 and 22 are illustrated as the wires which are ordinarily used in supporting grape vines between posts in a vineyard. A body of the clamping device is generally rectangular in cross section and has rectangular ends 12 and fiat edges 13 and 14. Notches 15 and 16 are formed in the lower fiat edge 14 of the body 10 and levers 17 and 18 which are formed in the shape of links of a chain are disposed around the body 10. The lower ends of the links or levers 17 and 18 are disposed in the notches 15 and 16, respectively. A longitudinally extending groove 30 is formed in an upper edge 31 of the body 10 and the groove 30 receives the wires 11 and 22.

The links 17 and 18 have a slightly large internal dimension somewhat greater than the width of sides 20 so that the links 17 and 18 may be slipped over the end of the body 10 and the lower ends thereof disposed in the notches 15 and 16. Then when the wires 11 and 22 are Supported under the links 17 and 18 as shown, the friction between an inside surface 23 of the link18 and an inside surface 24 of the link 17 will engage the top surface of the wire and the bottom surface of the wire will rest against the top edge 13 of the body 10. The friction between the wires 11 and 22 and the links 17 and 18 will cause the links 17 and 18 to bind on the wires 11 and 22 and clamp them into the position shown.

In order to stretch the wires 11 and 22, it is merely necessary for the operator to grasp one of the ends, for instance, an end 26, and pull the wire 22 toward the wire 11. The wire 22 will easily slide between the link 18 and the top edge 13 and when the proper amount of tension has been obtained, the operator will release the top of the link 18 and the wire. The friction of the wire on the link will cause the link to swing down and the frictional force of the wire on the link will cause it to bind and, therefore, lock the wire in place, thereby holding the wire in stretched position.

Since the clamping device is provided with a link on each end thereof, any wire can be clipped at a bight portion thereof and the ends put into the clamping device and clamped on the clamping device. Therefore, the wire can be stretched without the usual annoyance and time consuming eiforts necessary to untwist the wires at the ends of a grape arbor and retwist them.

The link and clamping device shown can be used equally as well in stretching barbed wire, telephone wire, or any other wire which requires a clamping means.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

A clamping device for a tensional vineyard wire comprising a generally rectangular body member, said body member having a straight edge with a longitudinally extending continuous groove extending the full length of said body member generally parallel to the tensional portion of said wire, there being a notch in the opposite edge of said body member from said straight edge and spaced from one end, a link, said link being disposed around said body member and having a portion thereof disposed in said notch and being inclined from said notch toward said end from which said notch is spaced, means fixed to said body member independent of said link to attach said body member to a support, said link having an inside surface overlying said straight edge and adapted to engage a wire to be clamped in said groove by said link and said surface whereby when said body member is fixed to a support and a force is exerted on said wire in a direction away from said attaching means, said link will engage said wire and clamp said wire between said link and said groove on said body member, said means to 'attach said body member to a support comprising a second notch disposed in said body member on the side thereof wherein said first notch is disposed, and a second link disposed around said body member and inclined away from said .first link toward the opposite end of said body member, said second link overlying said straight edge i and being adapted to receive a second tensioned wire between said second link and said straight edge, said second tensioned wire being generally aligned to said first mentioned tensioned wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Norway 17912 

